Round O
Round O is an English Country Dance. It was published by Henry Playford (website) in 1703 in The Dancing Master, 12th ed.. It was interpreted by Cecil Sharp (website) in 1922 and published in The Country Dance Book (Part 6). It is a proper Triple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 40 bars.
The 2. cu. sett and cast off into the 2. cu PLace, then 1. Wo. cross over above the 2. cu. and the 1. Man below the 4 cu. and meet both in the middle, then the 1. Wo. cast off, and the 1. Man cast up at the same time, then both set and fall back Then 1. and 3. cu. set in between the 1. cu. and fall back, and turn S. then 1. cu. hop round one another, waving their Hands, then 1. Wo. back to back with the 2. Man, and 1. Man back to back with the 3 Wo. at the same time, then the 1. Wo. back to back with the 3. Man, and the 1. Man back to back with the 2. Wo. at the same time then the three We. go the Hey together, and the three Men go the Hey together at the same time
The animation plays at 120 counts per minute normally, but the first time through the set the dance will often be slowed down so people can learn the moves more readily. Men are drawn as rectangles, women as ellipses. Each couple is drawn in its own color, however the border of each dancer indicates what role they currently play so the border color may change each time through the minor set.
| A1 | 1-4 | 1s set and cast down as 2s lead up |
| 5-8 | W1 loops clockwise around M2 as M1 loops clockwise around W3 to 2nd place improper | |
| A2 | 1-4 | M1 casts up, loops W2, comes down the middle, as W1 casts down, loops M3 comes up the middle to 2nd place proper |
| 5-8 | 1s set and fall back | |
| B | 1-2 | 2s+3s face, set forward to neighbor |
| 3-4 | All four fall back turning single | |
| 5-8 | 1s gypsy, facing inward, waving their hands in the air | |
| C | 1-4 | W1+M2, M1+W3 back to back |
| 5-8 | W1+M3, M1+W2 back to back | |
| D | 1-8 | Parallel heys on the sides, 1s+2s start by right |
If you find what you believe to be a mistake in this animation, please leave a comment on youtube explaining what you believe to be wrong. If I agree with you I shall do my best to fix it.
If you wish to link to this animation please see my comments on the perils of youtube. You may freely link to this page, of course, and that should have no problems, but use one of my redirects when linking to the youtube video itself:
https://www.upadouble.info/redirect.php?id=RoundO
The dance itself is out of copyright, and is in the public domain. The interpretation is out of copyright, and is in the public domain. My visualization of this dance is copyright © 2021 by George W. Williams V and is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This website is copyright © 2021-2025 by George W. Williams V
My work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Most of the dances have more restrictive licensing, see my notes on copyright, the individual dance pages should mention when some rights are waived.